Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 181"
COURSE NAME: "Politics and Power in Roman Architecture - Augustus to Mussolini (On-site: activity fee €25 or $33)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Foster Laura
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: M 9:15-12:05
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: On-site; activity fee: €25 or $33
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays 1:00-2:00 or by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide you with a general knowledge of the topography, urban makeup and architectural history of Rome. It will also introduce different methodological tools needed to examine city form, design and architecture.

how to ‘read’ architecture: identifying building materials & methods; elements of style & structure
how to interpret urban space: learning and applying the vocabulary associated with architecture and urban planning
how to express and formulate your ideas about architecture
how to develop and substantiate arguments about architecture and the history of the city through research and writing

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
From the foundation of the Roman Republic, through its expansion as an empire, to the rise of the papacy as a religious as well as secular authority, to the emergence of a unified Italy as a modern nation-state, Rome has served as a showcase of political power through architecture and urban form. This survey course will examine many of the city’s most significant architectural and urban sites, moving roughly in chronological order. We will discuss how individual monuments assume symbolic importance in later periods, how they serve as models of architectural style, and how the sites take on a “sacred” quality outside of a religious context. Students will become particularly familiar with a single neighborhood through a project that explores its historical development. All classes will meet on site, with the exception of examination periods.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

•a general knowledge of Rome’s history and urban development

•a familiarity with period styles in architecture

•the ability to discuss works of architecture and urban spaces in terms of their formal and

contextual qualities

•an understanding of the different methodological tools used to examine architecture and

urbanism through readings and class discussion

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Rome	Amanda Claridge	Oxford	9780199546831	DG62.C53 2010	See course schedule for reading assignments
The Ancient Roman City	John E. Stambaugh	Johns Hopkins University Press	0801835747	HT114 .S7	See course schedule for reading assignments
Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308	Richard Krautheimer	Princeton University Press	0691049610	DG811 .K7
Streets: Critical Perspectives on Public Space	Zeynip Celik, Diane Favro, Richard Ingersoll, eds.	University of California Press	0520085507	NA9053.S7S82	See course schedule for reading assignments
High Renaissance Art in St. Peter's and the Vatican: An Interpretive GuideN6920.H45	George Hersey	University of Chicago Press	9780226327822	N6920.H45
The Architecture of Modern Italy	Terry Kirk	Princeton Architectural Press	9781568984209	NA1114.K574 Vols 1 & 2

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Course Attendance and Participation	Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.  Regular attendance and punctuality are mandatory in order to earn full marks.  The final grade will take into consideration preparation required for class and participation in class discussions.  The grade for class participation will be valued on a 100 point scale, with 100 representing perfect attendance and excellent class participation.	10
Midterm Examination	The midterm examination will be composed of<br /> <br />      •slide identifications:  identify name of building or space, the architect and the date<br /> <br />      constructed provided on your key monuments lists<br /> <br />      •2 slide comparisons:  identify 2 buildings or spaces, their architects and dates, then<br /> <br />      compare and contrast the works in a short essay, supporting your discussion with<br /> <br />      relevant information from assigned readings and class discussion<br /> <br />      •Essay:  You will have a choice of two essay topics that treat general themes discussed in the first half of the course.  You will need to provide specific examples taken from      works discussed in class.	30
Term Paper	Rome's historical districts are known as the rioni:<span>  </span>in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, they served as distinct political units in civic representation (today, these districts are called the circoscrizioni).<span>  </span>By the 18th century, however, the rioni became a convenient way to organize a description of Rome in guidebooks, suggesting an itinerary for travellers.<span>   </span>For this paper, we will use the rioni as a means to explore the architectural development of the city.<span>  </span>Each student will be assigned a rione on which he/she will become the class expert.<span>  </span>The final paper should be approximately 10-15 pages, including illustrations of the neighborhood and specific monuments.<span>  </span>Detailed instructions will be provided later in the course.<span>  </span>See the course outline for deadlines. <p>Late policy: For every day an assignment late (weekends included) 5% will be taken from the total possible grade.<span>  </span>For example, a project is handed in two days late.<span>  </span>The paper is worth 100 points. As a result of lateness, your best possible grade would be a 90.<span>  </span>Extensions must be approved before assigned deadline: no exceptions. Late papers are to be handed in to the Faculty Support Office at JCU.</p>	30
Final Examination	The format for the final exam will be the same as the midterm, with slide identifications and comparisons covering only material since the midterm.  The essay questions will be on topics taken from themes discussed in the entire course.	30

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory. Please refer to the section on Class Attendance and Participation for details.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Session	Session Focus	Reading Assignment	Other Assignment	Meeting Place/Exam Dates
Monday January 16	Course Introduction
Monday January 23	Ancient Rome I: The City as Caput Mundi, Capital of the World	*Readings must be completed before the class session 1) Amanda Claridge, Rome (Oxford Archaeological Guide), 2010 ed., entries on: The Roman Forum (pp. 62-68), Senate House (71-75), Basilica Julia (92-93), Temple of Vesta (105-109), Temple of Divus Antoninus Pius and Diva Faustina (111-113), The Palatine (126-159), Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum (308-319). See also the glossary for defining terms on this week’s handout. On Permanent Reserve in the library, DG62 .C53 2010	Meeting Place: Exit of Metro B Colosseo stop
Monday January 30	Ancient Rome II: Articulating Power in the Imperial Period	1) Amanda Claridge, Rome (Oxford Archaeological Guide), 2010 ed., entries on: Forum of Augustus and Trajan (177-196), the Pantheon (227-232), Stadium of Domitian (234-237), Republican Victory Temples (241-246) 2) John E. Stambaugh, The Ancient Roman City, pp. 67-85 (Ch. 5) and pp. 213-224 (Ch. 13). On Permanent Reserve in the library, HT114 .S7	Meeting Place: Via dei Fori Imperiali near the Column of Trajan
Friday February 3	Makeup Class for April 9 (Easter Holiday) Ancient Rome III/Early Christianity: The Lateran and Surrounding Area	1) Amanda Claridge, Rome (Oxford Archaeological Guide), 2010 ed., entries on: The Lateran: Baptistery and Church (373-377); S. Stefano Rotondo (345-347)	At the exit of the Metro A S. Giovanni stop
Monday February 6	Medieval Era I: Miracles, Martyrs, and the Language of Christian Architecture	1) Richard Krautheimer, Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308, Chs. 5. On Permanent Reserves in the library, DG811 .K7 2) Joan E. Barclay Lloyd, "The Building History of the Medieval Church of S. Clemente in Rome," Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 15, 3 (September 1986), pp. 197-223. Available to download from JSTOR	Meeting Place: Outside Termini train station, via Giovanni Giolitti near via Gioberti
Monday Feb 13	Medieval Era II: Trastevere and the Formation of an Urban Vernacular	1) Richard Krautheimer, Rome: Profile of a City, 312-1308, Chs. 12 &13. On Permanent Reserves in the library, DG811 .K7 2) Deborah Robbins, "Via della Lungaretta: The Making of a Medieval Street," in Streets: Critical Perspectives on Public Space, pp. 165-176. On Permanent Reserves at the library, NA9053.S7S82	Meeting Place: Guarini Campus entrance
Monday Feb 20	Renaissance I: Restoring Rome in the 15th and 16th Centuries	1) Wolfgang Lotz, “Bramante and the Quattrocento Cloister,” Gesta 12, 1/2 (1973), 111-121. Available to download from JSTOR 2) James Ackerman, The Architecture of Michelangelo, Ch. 7 (pp. 171-192). On permanent reserves in the library, NA1123.B9A63 3) Christoph Frommel, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, pp. 95-97 (Palazzo della Cancelleria) and pp. 136-138 (Palazzo Farnese). On reserve for our class, NA1115.F757	Meeting Place: Campo de'Fiori, near statue of Giordano Bruno
Monday February 27	MIDTERM EXAMINATION		Classroom TBA	Monday Feb 27
Monday Mar 5	Renaisssance II: St. Peter's and the Borgo	1) George L. Hersey, High Renaissance Art in St. Peter's and the Vatican: An Interpretive Guide, pp. 65-96. On Permanent Reserves in the library, N6920.H45.	Meeting Place: Piazza S. Pietro, near the obelisk Assignment of Rioni Projects in class
Monday Mar 12	Renaissance III: Urban Planning and Urban Surveillance	1) James Ackerman, The Architecture of Michelangelo, Ch. 6 (pp. 139-174). On permanent reserves in the library, NA1123.B9A63 2) Christoph Frommel, The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance, pp. 52-56. On reserve for our class, NA1115.F757 3) Charles Burroughs, “Absolutism and the Rhetoric of Topography: Streets in the Rome of Sixtus V,” in Streets: Critical Perspectives on Urban Space, pp. 189-202. On Permanent Reserves at the library, NA9053.S7S82	Meeting Place: Guarini Campus entrance
Monday Mar 26	Baroque I: Competition and Notoriety Among Architects and their Patrons	1) Vernon Hyde Minor, Baroque & Rococo, pp. 75-93 ("The Baroque Church"). On reserve for class, N6410 .M56. 2) Patricia Waddy, Seventeenth-Century Roman Palaces: Use and Art of the Plan, pp. 3-13. On reserve for class, DG797.9.W33. 3) Tod Marder, Bernini and the Art of Architecture, Ch. VIII (Sant’Andrea al Quirinale). On reserve for our class, NA1123.B5M369	Meeting Place: Exit of Metro A Barberini stop
Monday April 2	Baroque II: Narrative in Facades and in Public Spaces	1) Richard Krautheimer, The Rome of Alexander VII, pp. 37-73. On Permanent Reserves in the library, NA9204.R7K7 2) Joseph Connors, “Borromini’s S. Ivo alla Sapienza: The Spiral,” The Burlington Magazine Vol 138, issue 1123 (1996), pp. 668-682. Download from JSTOR.	Meeting Place: Largo S. Andrea della Valle, at the beginning of Corso Rinascimento First draft of written explanation of the rione due in class
Monday April 9	No class: Easter Holiday
Monday April 16	Via del Corso from the Baroque to Italian Unification, 17th-20th Centuries	1) Richard Krautheimer, The Rome of Alexander VII, pp. 114-125. On Permanent Reserves in the library, NA9204.R7K7 2)Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy, Vol. 1, pp. 222-259. On reserve for our class in library, NA1114 .K574 Vol 1. 3)Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy, Vol. 2, pp. 15-26. On reserve for our class in library, NA1114 .K574 Vol 2.	Meeting Place: Piazza del Popolo, at obelisk
Monday April 23	The Form of a New Empire under Fascism and Lessons for Architectuer in Contemporary Rome	1) Terry Kirk, The Architecture of Modern Italy, Vol. 2, pp. 120-132. On reserve for our class in the library, NA1114 .K574 Vol 2.	Meeting Place: Piazza Risorgimento Final rione project due in class